NBA TO HOLD SILENT EXPANSION DRAFT

The NBA expansion draft, scheduled to be held on June 24 or
26, should get the same live TV treatment as yesterday's NFL
expansion draft, according to Neil Campbell of the Toronto GLOBE
& MAIL. As planned now, the Grizzlies and Raptors will make
their choices over the phone to the league office in New York.
Writes Campbell, "That's too bad. In fact, it's downright silly.
The NBA is supposed to be a step or two ahead of the other
leagues in terms of marketing and public relations. Fans in
Vancouver and Toronto, who have shelled out millions for season
tickets, deserve to see their new players picked one by one.
They deserve to know who are these guys, what can they do and why
were they made available. They deserve to have issues explained
to them such as why the expansion teams will play with a smaller
salary cap. Only live television can act as this type of
conduit" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/16). USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke
writes that ESPN made yesterday's NFL draft "an interesting
telecast, with graphics and remote reports from a taxi squad of
reporters" (USA TODAY, 2/16).